Dance is the Hidden Language of the Soul of the Body, says Odissi Exponent, Sarita Mishra

Dance is the Hidden Language of the Soul of the Body, says Odissi Exponent, Sarita Mishra

Renowned Odissi exponent, Sarita Mishra will perform at the Classical Dance Festival Samarpan 2019, organised by Nrityaangan in Mangalore on January 19, 2019 at 6.15
PM.

Grace, beauty and expression and that is Sarita Mishra for you, the unbeatable artist in Odissi.

One of the leading exponents of Odissi Classical Art Form, Sarita Mishra belongs to the rare breed among the new generation of Odissi dancers. An accomplished performing artist, for Sarita Mishra, dance is the way of life from age four.

Her undying and undisturbed passion for dance made Sarita a true artist from a very young age itself. Armed with sublime lyrical grace and her grasp over technical nuances make her Odissi performance very unique. For Sarita, dance is always a beautiful way of communication.

Rightly so, her sincerity, hard work and dedication, which eventually shaped up her journey right from the beginning. Sarita Mishra is firm on her conviction that she
was born to be a dancer.

Graceful and elegant Odissi Classical Music performer, Sarita Mishra.

Right from an young age she was identified as a dancer. “Dance is like my better consort,” says Saritha Mishra, who always struck a balance between grace, emotion and techniques.

All these qualities had fetched her rich dividends and Saritha Mishra earned several laurels and accolades from the art critics all over the world.

Despite being very bright in academic pursuits, Sarita Mishra chose to be a struggling Odissi dancer. She was a child actress too, but Sarita’s focus was on only dance and hence left that career as well. Saritha Mishra was also a teacher in a renowned school in Indore and she was even rewarded Best Teacher of the year for two consecutive years.

Sarita Mishra is a passionate writer, as she started writing poems in Odiya at a young age itself, a passion she pursue till date. Sarita Mishra loves to blend tradition into modernity. She is traditional when it comes to pursuing her passion of Odissi, at the same time she is also modern, living in the metro of Bangalore.

A talented singer that she is, Sarita Mishra can render songs with pure Urdu and Hindi dictions. Also a polyglot, Sarita Mishra, apart from English and her mother tongue of Odiya, she is equally at ease at Bengali, have a working knowledge of Kannada and Spanish. Her career spans more than three years and Sarita Mishra has carved a niche for herself in the performing art of Odissi, due to great perseverance and strict discipline.

During this journey, Sarita Mishra has been performing on varied platforms at both national and international arenas.

Sarita has to her credit, in excess of 1600 stage performances in addition to her involvement in imparting training to scores of students. Quite a large number of students Sarita has trained so far. She is also instrumental in promoting and creating awareness about Odissi in many rural villages across the country by working closely with the government schools.

Training

Sarita Mishra received training under Guru Niranjan Rout in Guru Debaprasad Das Style for the initial two decades and after that the rest of the 14 odd years she is learning the finer nuances of the dance form from Guru Bichitra Nanda Swain in Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Style.

An empalened Artist of ICCR and Spicmacay, Sarita Mishra is also the Graded Artist of Doordharshan. A recepient of National Junior Scholarship for a decade, she has also trained and guided students of different generations.

Sarita Mishra is now the Creative Director of Adyasha Foundation, an Odissi Institution based in the capital city of Karnataka, Bangalore. Sarita Mishra teaches pure Odissi dance and hosts Classical Dance Festivals twice a year, showcasing eminent dancers and young talents of all Classical genres.

Sarita Mishra worked hard to learn the ropes of Odissi in its purest form.

Sarita Mishra has also been involved in creating new compositions both in Odiya as well as in Kannada languages for her own Odissi performances and also for her disciples.

Performances

Sarita Mishra had performed in many international arenas. She did a performance cum workshop at Argentina, Lima, Trujhillo and Bolivia since 2015, the latest being last year. Sarita also had performed Odissi concert in Kischner Cultural Centre in Argentina on two occasions, one in 2016 and another in 2018. Last year, she also performed in Mukteshwar Festival in Odisha and Kinkini Festival in Bangalore. Her other performances include, Mardol Festival at Goa in 2017; Cultural Centre Borges in Argentina and ICCR Cultural Centre, Sao Paulo in Brazil in 2015 and 2017. Also she performed in Centro Cultural CCORI WASI of the Ricardo Palma University at Lima in
2017; Odissi performance at Biblioteca Nacional DEL at Peru in 2018; performances at Stockholm (Sangeet Conference, 2016), Croatia and Portugal in 2016 in addition the performances at 25 cities all across the US back in 2014.

Sarita Mishra has received several accolades for her contribution to the growth of Odissi Classical Dance. She received appreciation from Ohio, Nashville, Chicago and Maryland in the US. Besides that, Sarita Mishra also received Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Excellence Award 2018 Bangalore; Rithadevi Excellence Pune; Kalayogi Award 2016 from ICCR Bangalore and Aekalavvya Award Bhubaneswar.

Sarita’s mission is to contribute to the evolution and popularisation of Odissi dance globally. About her future plans, Sarita says, “I keep thinking and I keep planning. So, there are lot of future plans in store. But, the core plan of my artistic life will be always to make and the Odissi dance to all those places in the world, where people do not have an iota of exposure or awareness about it.”

What kept Sarita Mishra going…”Well, since my childhood, I always wanted to do things with perfection, be it tying the lace of the shoe, or for that matter, writing or name anything, I always wanted to do things perfectly. So, perfection was something that always kept me going, that is working for perfection. When I was a child, I was dancing out to my heart’s content. But, when I grew up, I realised the intricacies and I wanted to reach that level of perfection in my dancing and that always kept me working harder. What I feel is that the thirst to know more to drown myself into the ocean of dance, to involve myself more and to express with myself more.
That was the fire I always had and I guess that was thing that always helped me to overcome all the obstacles and all the difficulties that came into my journey.”

Who inspired her the most. “Actually, many people are there who inspire me. I think, every single person who have excelled and achieved success in their respective fields through sheer hard work, they actually inspire me, irrespective of age, whether they are younger to me or older, it doesn’t matter. And, especially those beautiful dancers who strike a beautiful balance between their professional careers and their families as mothers, as wives, daughters and daughters-in-law, they
actually inspire me because as a mother, as a wife, as a daughter, as a daughter-in-law, actually is a big challenge to balance both aspects of life beautifully.”

The new generation performing artists are lot more intelligent, nevertheless, they should learn the craft with dedication, says Sarita Mishra, Odissi exponent.

What advice does she have to give to the new generation artists. “Today’s generation is actually they are more intelligent, brighter, sharper and more talented. So, my little word to them would be that whatever is your dream, follow them, follow them with utmost sincerity and hard work, humility, your dignity and grace because that is what is going to take you a long way. Strive for excellence and live your life with it,” Sarita Mishra points out.

What are her current plans? “Lot of current plans under process. Once it is firmed up I will be happy to share.” When it comes to her family, Sarita Mishra is married to an army officer, Lt. Col. Uttam Kumar Rath, who took his voluntary retirement in 2017 and now working with
DELL in Bangalore. The couple have a daughter, Sai Srishti (Rhiya), who is a Seventh Grader in Delhi Public School (East).

Rhiya is also a passionate singer who renders songs in four languages such as Hindi, English, Korean and Japanese. They are a compassionate lot and had adopted another girl, Mansa when Rhiya was just one year old. The couple adopted Mansa due to the latter family circumstances. Mansa is assisting Sarita Mishra in her Dance School and in her career as well. “I adopted Mansa when Rhiya was one because her situation was very difficult. Both my daughters are passionate dancers of Odissi. Now Rhiya is 13 and Mansa, her elder daughter is
22 years,” Sarita Mishra signs off.

Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli: The Psychology Graduate chooses to follow her passion and builds a career in Odissi and Kalaripayattu

For Psychology graduate Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli, Odissi and Kalaripayattu are twin passions and way of life

“Passion for any art form paves a path cut differently from the rest. But when passion turns into a way of life, it most definitely brings in a new dimension”, says Vandana Supriya, the multi-facted personality. By vocation, Vandana is a Psychology graduate, while her passion lied in performing arts. She did both and chose Odissi has her career choice.

Overriding Passion

For Psychology graduate Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli, Odissi and Kalaripayattu are twin passions and way of life

Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli delved deep into the realms of art and dance when she was just seven years of age. Pursuing her dance course in a non-conventional school, The Sita School, where learning was based not on books or theory, but more on practical hands-on experience in the midst of nature and arts, thereby making dance and song rendition the integral part of her early years.

Professional Training

For Psychology graduate Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli, Odissi and Kalaripayattu are twin passions and way of life

As the saying goes, ‘What meant to be, will always find a way to be”, with a big dream, a young child finds her way into an institution, which would be her home for many years to come. A place where she could find herself as an artist, as a dancer and as a person. A series of events, which can be termed nothing other than destiny, led a young Vandana to board a bus which took her to the weekend classes held in the neighbourhood at Nrityagram, the dance Gurukul, based out of Bangalore. With time, Nrityagram transformed to be the second home and a place of worship, shaping young Vandana into the person she would be as an adult.

Professional Dancer

Being a part of the Stem Dance Kampani after her diploma did not only give her an opportunity to hone her skills as a performing artist but also to learn various other dance forms including Odissi, in addition to martial arts like Kalaripayattu. What is more, Vandana’s journey towards being a soloist in Odissi began at this stage of her life and she paved a way for herself only through a lot of hard work and perseverance. Vandana also began working with many NGOs and organisations to spread the art form of Odissi so that it would reach even the lives of those who are usually not priveleged enough to get professional training. From being a young child in love with
dance to a composed adult, who paved her way for herself, Vandana’s art form has been her stable foundation in life.

For Psychology graduate Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli, Odissi and Kalaripayattu are twin passions and way of life

Even though, Vandana earned her undergraduate degree from Mount Carmel College in Psychology, she chose to follow her passion and build her future as a performing artist. After Nrityagram, Vandana was lucky enough to find a third home, when she joined the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography to pursue a Diploma in Choreography under the tutelage of Gurus Dr Maya Rao and Mdhu Nataraj. In fact, it was here that Vandana found the support and the much needed encouragement to follow her dreams without any second thought and make herself a notable person in the field of Odissi dance. Furthermore, Vandana is also trained in Kalaripayattu, the traditional martial art form of Kerala, at The Kalari Grama in Pondicherry (Puducherry).

Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli performing Odissi.

Anandi School of Dance

What is knowledge if you haven’t shared it? Rightly so, in an apparent attempt to spread Odissi and extend its reach in the southern parts of India, Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli started a dance school, The Anandi School of Dance in 2013, a perfect learning platform for both children as well as adults. One of the initiatives of Anandi Arts Foundation is to make dance/arts accessible to the lesser privileged. The first step in that direction was with 120 enthusiastic girls from the Government
School in RMV second stage Bangalore who were given Odissi training for free.

Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli is married to Apurva Kasaravalli, son of Kannada film maker and theatre personality, Girish Kasaravalli (Tabarana Gathe and other wonderful movies he has made and the last Kannada movie he directed was Niruttara, starred by Rahul Bose) and Vaishali Kasaravalli, who has also acted in many Kannada films.

Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli marries Apurva Kasaravalli.

Apurva Kasaravalli, who is also a film maker and Vandana says that he is a great source of strength and always supported her endeavours.

Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli is a core team member of the collaborative dance production, Padme, choreographed y Kalpana Raguraman and produced by Anita Ratnam. Another initiative is the Contemporary Choreographies by Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli is based on various contemporary issues such as women empowerment, gender equality LGBT Rights and more. IGNITE is a musical programme directed by Vandana and produced by Hometown Productions. Other works include dance tutoring in government schools of Malaysia; cultural orientation and demonstration to the tribals of Kerala; dance tutoring for two years in Bale Mane, an NGO dedicated to the girls of remand homes; performance and demonstration for the Paraspara Trust; dance tutoring for special and physically challenged children in Association of People with Disability – a school for physically challenged children; cultural demonstration programme for the faculty of APD;

Vandana Supriya Kasaravalli

performance for upbringing of the heterosexual community; dance lessons as part of summer camps in ISKON for children, dance lessons to the under-privileged children of Benson Town in Bangalore; Sunday classes for village children in Nrithyagram in Bangalore; cultural show for the cause of women empoweremnt at Mount Carmel College in Bangalore; performance for the cause of child labour at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore; performance in the cultural programme for rural areas of Hesaraghatta; performance in Gnana Jyothi – a school for special children; performance for cancer patients in Bangalore; lecture demonstration for an orphanage in Jayanagar in Bangalore; lecture demonstration for Suchitra Film Institute and teaching at Adishakthi Theatre School in Pondicherry.

Vrinda Chadha, the highly talented Odissi exponent is performing at the Unbound Beats of India Festival 2018 at Triveni Kala Sangam, Mandi House, New Delhi on December 30 at 5.45 PM organised by Padmashree Guru Rajana Gauhar and her team.

You know it's a merry Christmas when you get to sweat and dance it out in the Delhi winters! A gentle reminder for the upcoming 'Unbound Beats of India Festival' 2018 organised by Padmashree Guru Ranjana Gauhar ji and her team at Utsav. Date : 30th December, SundayTime : 6:00PM (please be seated by 5:45, Entry free)Venue : Triveni Kala Sangam, Mandi House New Delhi. See you all there! Rehearsing here Guruji's soulful choreography on Meerabai and her divine love for the dark Lord which is heightened by the onset of monsoon and the excitement of dark cloudy skies, soft breeze, dancing peacocks and raindrops. Raptured and engulfed in Sri Krishna she imagines his arrival at every sound and every touch.

In the video, Vrinda Chadha is seen rehearsing Ranjana Gauhar’s soulful choreography on Meerabai and her divine love for the dark Lord which is heightened by the onset of monsoon and the excitement of dark cloudy skies, soft breeze, dancing peacocks and raindrops. Raptured and engulfed in Sri Krishna, Vrinda Chadha imagines his arrival at every sound and every touch. In the video, Vrinda Chadha is getting to sweat and dance it out in the Delhi winters!

Sandhya Manoj to perform Odissi based on Swathi Thirunal Krithis in Bhakti Bhavana om her New Production, Padmanabha Daasa at Prayana 2018 in Navi Mumbai on December 30, 2018

Odissi exponent, Sandhya Manoj is signing off 2018 with her performance in Prayana 2018 in Navi Mumbai on December 30. For the first time, Sandhya Manoj is presenting Dashavatharam of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal from her new production, Padmanabha Daasa, an Odissi production based on Sathi Thirunal Krithis in Bhakti Bhaavana in Odissi style.

Mumbaikars get a wonderful opportunity to end the year by catching a glimpse of Sandhya’s high voltage Odissi performance and be a part of that universal consciousness of Padmanabha Swamy who manifested for mankind whenever the need of the hour beckoned his Divine presence and beckon with him to be with them through and through. Originally from Kerala, Sandhya Manoj lives in Malaysia and is busy in the performing arts of Odissi as well as bringing the best of Odissi and Yoga.

Performing Arts (Odissi) and Yoga exponent Sandhya Manoj, turns model by taking part in the Mallika Sinha designed Jewellery campaign in Malaysia. Mallika, the promoter of Agomoni, a house of handcrafted costumer jewellery for women who aspire to look different.

In Agomoni, Mallika personally work on each piece of handicraft endlessly only to transform the design by beading into a masterpiece. Somehow, Mallika roped in Sandhya this time around and managed to finish the photo session, despite the latter’s tight rope walk.

Coming back to Sandhya, a little bit of her background will not be sufficient, as The Indian.News is coming up with this multi-facted personality’s full story at a later date, given this campaign, whatever brief that should go with this feature for a better comprehension to our readers, we will have that and a little more.

There are only few artistes in the world to explore the frontiers of the synchronisation of Yoga and Dance. A trained Odissi performer, Sandhya, after marriage to the Yoga expert Manoj Kaimal, the native of North Paravur had learned the art of synchronising both Yoga and dance form she is good at, Sandha succeeded in integration both the dance moves of Odissi as well as the assanasof Yoga.

More on the artist and her experimentation later, nevertheless, let us wish her good luck for her perseverance and her uninhibited foray into uncharted terrains like modelling. Team Indian.News, wish you wonderful journey on your career path Sandhya!

For the delightful renaissance of art and culture amidst the chilling pre-winter vibes in the national capital, Samsravais coming up with a divine confluence of Odissi, Kuchipudi and Kathak on 24th November 2018. The event will be staged at Triveni Kala Sangam, Tansen Marg from 6:00 in the evening. The event will be graced by Padma Vibhushan Guru Pandit Birju Maharaj, Padma Bhushan Awardees Dr. Raja & Radha Reddy and Kaushalya Reddy, exponent of Odissi Dance Guru Sharon Lowen and eminent Odissi dancer Guru Monalisa Ghosh.

Arunima Ghosh, Odissi exponent

Open for all, this dance saga will bring forth the performance of talented dancers Arunima Ghosh and Madhur Gupta (for Odissi), Yamini Reddy and Bhavana Reddy (for Kuchipudi) and Ragini Maharaj and Tribhuwan Maharaj (for Kathak).
India has always been a nation renowned and respected worldwide for its varied traditional art forms flowing together to make rivulets of rich culture. At times, they flowed separately in a parallel while at other instances, they unified as one unique combination. Thus, Samsrava aims at bringing some of these streams together on the same platform and let the art lovers enjoy the divine elegance of Odissi, Kuchipudi and Kathak altogether.

Madhur Gupta and Arunima Ghosh

While talking about Samsrava by Manasija, Arunima Ghosh says, “For ages, Indian subcontinent represented as the divine soil giving birth and rooting together the diversely rich margi (classical) arts of the nation. Through Samsrava, we aim to bring together the glory of 3 prominent dance forms i.e., Odissi, Kuchipudi and Kathak, on the same platform and letting the rasikas of onlookers get drenched in the purity of their unique Kala Sangam.”